Hey I hear what your saying about time and money. I wasn't knocking you or your ambition at all sorry if it came across that way. I have several Hudson's myself including a chopped one. If you need help just ask ill do what i can for ya. So get after it! Dave Hitch FBBF
Ok no big deal man sorry if i sounded pised about it. I just get alot of "your crazy" with this project. Ha ha. But i realy prefer to build everything and buy as little as possable so i can say i built it.. and it saves a ton of money. I realy would like to see what your guys inner rockers look like and its all trim on the out side of the rocker right? But thats for another thred ill post a build one when i get back to work on it. I have to finish my 59 apache for this summer so its on the back burner. Just geting ideas for the time
Yeah man I know how it goes I just bought a 51 Pacemaker and i'm trying to do it on a super low budget. I already had the running gear that I'm going to put in it. The only people that will be working on my car will be me and my dad.
I agree with your advice, especially if there is a tight budget. Converting a 4 door to two is an involved job. If you want a two door that bad, keep looking around as one will eventually turn up in a price range that will suit you. As far as the conversion of the Hudson in the pictures. We did use imported doors and outer 1/4 panel skins from a Hudson parts supplier in America. A full set of good condition matching panels from the same car were requested. What arrived was four panels from four different cars and year models. All panels were rusty and damaged. The 1/4 panels looked like they had been driven over by a truck!!!!. All the internal panels and rear 1/4 windows were either fabricated from 4 door pieces or made up to suit
Here is a chopped 4 door done by Lindsay Houstin, of LDI Kustom Koncepts. And a link to build pictures http://www.ldikustoms.com.au/kreations/customs/blue hudson/hirohud__rose__butch_walker.htm
Well fellas. I was planning on useing all the origonal sheet metal. Never realy thought about buying 2 door parts for it. I dont want to make it a "stock" 2 door. I want to build it so every body wonders why that 2 door looks a little odd... It is a ton of work but ive already done about that much work with the frame swap. If not more.. this car isnt a just build it and drive it. I want it to be a show stoper so work is no object. I like the 4 door chop. Thats alot of work then keeping it a 4 door. Looks cool but if i go through all the work to chop it whats the difference if i chop it up some more.. tight bugets also dont matter. Im used to it and i improvise. The metal work wont cost any money. Its all work. Oh also. I payed 400 for the car. 200 for the chassis and 100 for steering colum breakbooster and pedal asembly so for less then a grand i have a roller... Plan on useing a pontiac 455 and 400 trany i already have .. in reality i have to pay for paint.. oh and i have a friend that does apolstry so thats free as well minus material.. everyone is so lost in the lets just buy everything new. If i cant build it for free i go to the junk yard... Thats how it used to be done and im not even old enough to have lived in the early days of hotroding
. This is what I started with. A car welded to another car http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=31349&pictureid=358292 This is what i started with. A car welded to another car
With your can-do attitude, I hope you make this a build thread, 'cause I get the feeling your Hudson will be your own creation and not quite like any other. The 455/400 drive sounds fab. I also get the feeling you will enjoy the project, which is what it's all about. Kudos to the HAMB Hudson codre here for offering opinions and illustrations. This exchange is a great example of constructive HAMBers at their best. Best of luck!
Thanks man that realy means alot to me to have some one say that. And as much of a pain in the ass as its gunna be i am going to have fun doing it.. i will post a seprate build thread when the time comes.. and also thank all you hambrs for your ideas this is great.
Keep it up! Im doing the same thing with 2 different Hudsons in the same condition. I hate to ruin a nice one!
I am totally with you on not wanting to cut up a nice car. I personally start with field cars, too, because that way anything I do to it is an improvement. Personally, if I were going to go to the trouble of chopping a Hudson I would shorten up the roof to give it proportions more like a coupe. They just look so much better than the sedans. I'll post photos in a second.
Here is a coupe vs. a sedan. You can see what I mean about the length of the roof. It would take some major surgery to do that; I assume the rear seat will have to be moved way forward, but you're already doing major surgery anyway. In for a penny, in for a pound!
The actual roof sheet metal panel is exactly the same on all '48-54 Hudson Stepdown 4 door sedans and 2 door sedans (which Hudson called "broughams" like the two tone gray pictured). The coupe roof tin is obviously shorter. Just keep in mind that any place you cut into the "Monobilt" unibody structure of these stepdown Hudsons, you have compromised the structural integrity of the foundation of the car. The fact that the rear frame of the subject car in this thread was changed to a clip from a Ford scares the heck out of me because from Hudson these cars had perimeter frame rails that ran through the rocker panels and CONTINUED on the OUTSIDE of the rear wheels in the quarter panels. That was a truly major cut and better be addressed before thinking about building this sedan into a two door. You can pretty well see the red frame rails in this 1:12 scale plastic dealer model that salesman used to show the "Monobilt" feature.
I love my four door: But because yours is so cut up already why not give it a go, it will be a ton of work, and like other people have posted, broughams are not all that hard to find, there was one local to me on CL for $3500 and was complete.
i know all aboout the mono built step down its already siting on a s10 frame i beefed up the rochers and am doing body mounts to the frame like a full frame vehicle this is all done already. its all braced up inside nothing moved doors and everything open fine. i did alot of recearch and prep and its going fine all i have to do is fab the floor anf a little fire wall still decideing if i want to go sbc5 speed which is already in or the bb pontiac.. any way the only thing hudson is the shell sorry folks.. its pro touring. and i like the sedans just dont like how short the front door is did a quick photo chop ill see if i can post it.. id also rather it be a sedan not coupe but i would like to shorten the roof a bit that was the plan
I like your can-do attitude, this is what I did in my garage, not a Hudson, but same principle. I do agree with atomickustom, in regards to the proportions, that can make or break a conversion like this.
A few more pics. Remember! Just take one step at a time and eventually what seemed overwhelming will all come together. Peace, Chaz
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=31349&pictureid=367605 heres what i was thinkin what yall think.
dublaaron - what you're planning can be done, it will just take a ton of work. Sounds like you're ready for a challenge. In looking at your photoshop - it looks like the door is a bit too long to me. Perhaps measure a coupe/brougham door first, and shoot for that measurement. If you're interested, I can measure mine for you. If you're going to do all that work, make sure you get the proportions right or it will wind up looking funky. When I built my brougham, someone had done a partial chassis swap on it as well. I cut out everything to the perimeter frame, then did a chassis swap using a stretched Grand Marquis chassis. The outer rockers are just a sheet metal panel attached with screws and rivets (at least mine were) to the upper quarters, and the bottom of the perimeter frame. I wound up making all new rockers for my car out of sheet metal as my originals were rusted through and repaired. themodernartist - your 3 window concept is interesting. The picture used is a photo of my brougham on it's first trip out of the garage after I chopped it. -Keith.
That's gonna be a lot of work to get that car to what you want. I would seriously see if you can get a brougham and use yours for the parts car. Parts for them arent real easy to find unless you get a whole donor. This is my Broughm
Once again not woried about the work and the door length is on purpose. Ill go back and finish the photochop i want to slant my b pillars as well this pic is just so everybody understands what i mean. And i dont get what the big deal is. I dont need any parts i can do just fine with whats there and anything i need is easly made. I realy enjoy metal shapeing and this is kinda my little fun project. I apreaciate your conserns but thats what my hudsons for. To chop up i have a 59 apache thats a great runner. Im in no hurry
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=31349&pictureid=367661 heres what i was talking about
ok so heres what im thinking. Slanted post shortend roof. Lengthend door and filler between the trunk and back window. The roof actly looks like it will shorten easyely. I just cut it and moved it forward looks right
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